Polyphosphates and ionic active ingredients have been used in dentifrices to promote oral health. Polyphosphates are known anti-tartar agents that help retard calculus formation. Metal ions such as stannous and zinc ions are known to be effective anti-microbial agents. These metal ions provide anti-gingivitis and anti-plaque benefits and may also improve breath and reduce sensitivity. Stannous fluoride has been used in dentistry since the 1950's as a fluoride source to prevent dental caries. Similarly, zinc citrate has been shown to have anti-plaque, anti-gingivitis and anti-tartar efficacy. In addition, zinc has also shown its efficacy as an anti-malodor agent.
While such actives have previously been used in dentifrices, for several reasons it has proven challenging to provide these actives together in a stable single phase. Once such technical problem is to preserve the bioavailability of stannous ions and maximize the chemical stability of the stannous ion source. Certain polyphosphates are unstable in high aqueous systems. Such polyphosphates in an aqueous system are susceptible to hydrolysis unless they are present at a high pH, which is not compatible with high stannous availability. Stannous fluoride tends to precipitate stannous ions in aqueous environments, thereby reducing the efficacy of the stannous ions in the oral care composition. Additionally, the polyphosphates react with ionic fluoride in oral compositions at ambient temperature to produce monofluorophosphate ions and alter the pH of the composition. This reaction compromises the efficacy of the oral composition and its ability to provide stable ionic fluoride and polyphosphate to the oral surfaces.
Other attempts to provide such efficacious dentifrice compositions have reduced the amount of water present in the composition. Reducing the amount of water would theoretically reduce or eliminate the stability issues associated with the fluoride, polyphosphate and other ionic actives. However, reducing the level of water, and optionally replacing some or all of the removed water with a humectant, creates problems in obtaining acceptable rheology and thickening properties in the composition. When water, which is a highly polar solvent, is removed, conventional thickening agents such as carboxymethylcellulose (“CMC”) tend to inadequately gel up. Attempts to reduce water content in dentifrice compositions have included the dentifrices described in, e.g., EP 0 638 307 B1; U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,451; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,137. Such known formulations have been shown to exhibit progressive thickening over time, which prolongs the time period or even prevents the dentifrice from reaching a rheological steady state. Ideally, dentifrice formulations need to reach a steady state for consumer acceptance within two weeks. If a formulation routinely increases in viscosity over time, dispensing of the formulation will become difficult, which will likely result in consumer dissatisfaction.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,696,045 discloses dentifrice compositions comprising a single low water phase comprising polyphosphate and ionic active ingredients. Although compositions comprising glass H polyphosphate, which has a long chain of about 21 phosphate groups, and sodium or stannous fluoride are disclosed, with the sodium fluoride being optionally combined with zinc citrate and the stannous fluoride being optionally combined with zinc lactate, there is no disclosure of how to combine stannous, fluoride and zinc salts in a low water composition in combination with short chain length polyphosphates in a low water single phase system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,293 discloses dentifrice compositions comprising a high water phase comprising polyphosphate and ionic active ingredients, including stannous ions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,906 also discloses dentifrice compositions comprising a high water phase comprising polyphosphate and ionic active ingredients, including stannous ions.
Other attempts to provide dentifrice compositions having these actives in efficacious amounts involved the use of dual compartmented packaging wherein the reactive ingredients are physically separated until the time of brushing. (See, e.g., WO98/22079, “Dentifrice Compositions Containing Polyphosphate and Fluoride.”) However, such dual-compartmented packages are typically considerably more expensive than the conventional laminate tubes that have been used for many years to contain and dispense dentifrices. They also may be problematic in terms of ease of consumer use and uniform dispensing of approximately equal amounts of each composition during each consumer use. Therefore it remains desirable to provide single phase compositions that can be packaged in conventional laminate squeeze tubes.
The description herein of certain advantages and disadvantages of known compositions, methods, and apparatus is not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments to their exclusion (or inclusion, as the case may be). Indeed, certain embodiments may include one or more known compounds, methods, or apparatus without suffering from the afore-mentioned disadvantages.